Combination portable fire escape and wardrobe support

ABSTRACT

A rigid ladder section is equipped with hooks and rod attachment for hanging over the outside a window sill. One rung of the ladder section is rotatable and carries a rolled up rope or rope ladder which may be released to the ground from high elevations. When not in use as a fire escape the rigid section is equipped with supporting feet and the hooks serve to steady the rod so as to serve as a support for clothes hangers and similar wardrobe holding devices.

United States Patent Brandenberger COMBINATION PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE AND WARDROBE SUPPORT [72] Inventor: Fred L. Brandenberger, 49 Rivoli Street, San Francisco, Calif. 94117 [22] Filed: July 8, 1971 [21] Appl. No.: 160,644

[52] US. Cl. ..182/35, 182/129, 182/206 [51] Int. Cl. ..E06c l/38, E06c 1/36, E06c 7/00 [58] Field of Search.....182/20, 35, 21, 206, 196, 129

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 67,270 7/1867 Coons ..182/35 1,265,922 5/1918 Lanier ..182/35 3,307,654 3/1967 Green ..182/206 [15] 3,696,888 51 Oct. 10, 1972 Burt 1 82/206 Gabrielson 182/206 Primary Examiner-Reinaldo P. Machado Attorney-Alfons Puishes ABSTRACT A rigid ladder section is equipped with hooks and rod attachment for hanging over the outside a window sill. One rung of the ladder section is rotatable and carries a rolled up rope or rope ladder which may be released to the ground from high elevations. When not in use as a fire escape the rigid section is equipped with supporting feet and the hooks serve to steady the rod so as to serve as a support for clothes hangers and similar wardrobe holding devices.

6 Claim, 6 Drawing Figures PATENTEDnm I0 1972 Fig-4a I NVEN TOR.

Fred L. Brandenberger BY V Attorney COMBINATION PORTABLE FIRE ESCAPE AND WARDROBE SUPPORT BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Portable and combination fire escapes have been used for many years particularly in rural communities and places not covered by modern building and safety codes where permanent fire escapes are required.

More recently serious injuries and deaths have occurred even in modern buildings because of the inadequacy of existing facilities.

Devices which are constructed to act as portable fire escapes only, are awkward and have not met with much popular approval.

Such combination devices as have been constructed have likewise not been favored by the public largely because the usage of the device for other than fireescape purposes has lacked sufficient utility.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION I have discovered that by constructing a device after the manner of my invention which combines the function of a portable fire escape with that of a wardrobe or clothes closet support I am able to overcome objections to all previous devices as summarized above and thus provide a novel and unique safety device which may well serve to save many lives and serious injuries.

I provide a device whose basic component is a rigid ladder equipped with suitable hooks on its upper end. The latter are adapted for hanging out on a window sill with the aid of an adapter rod.

One rung of the ladder is rotatable and carries on it a rolled up rope or rope ladder and counter-weight.

When hung through the window and down the outside wall of a building the rotatable rung may be released and permitted by combined action of the rotating rung, the counter-weight and the force of gravity to cause the rope or ladder to descend to the ground from an desired height thereby providing a safe escape means.

When not used as a fire escape, my device, with the rope or rope ladder in a rolled up position, serves as a wardrobe or clothes closet support and is well adapted to so serve in combination with existing closets or related facilities in a residence or hotel room.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is an isometric view showing my invention when used as a wardrobe support. FIG. 2 is a front view showing the rigid ladder member and winding rope member.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation showing a garment suspended on the cross-bar.

FIG. 4 shows my invention when fully extended and in place for use as a fire escape from a window.

FIG. 4a shows an alternate embodiment of the winding rope or ladder member.

FIG. 5 is a side elevation of one of the ladder leg brackets.

DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings, there is seen first my basic rigid ladder member 1 with its side rails 2 and stationary rungs 3 and one rotating rung 4.

Horizontal brackets 5 form a part of side rails 2 and are equipped with integral rod gripping tongues 6, the functions of which are set forth below.

I provide a transverse rod 7 which may be of collapsible or telescoping construction to be adaptable to windows or wardrobes of varying widths.

Swivel feet 8 are positioned on the bottom of side rails 2 and serve to support the entire rigid ladder assembly when used as a wardrobe support.

Coiled up on my rung 4 as best seen in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2 is a rope member 9 on the loose end of which is positioned counter-weight 10.

Rope member 9 is held in a coiled up position on rung 4 by means of bracket 12 positioned on one of the side rails 2 and removable pin 13 which engages rung 4 and bracket 12.

Referring now more particularly to FIG. 4, there is seen basic ladder member 1 with rope member 11 in extended position for escape.

On FIG. 40 there is seen an alternate embodiment in which I utilize a rope ladder 11a instead of single rope I l.

OPERATION When used as a wardrobe support my invention operates as best seen in FIG. 1, FIG. 3, and FIG. 5.

Rigid ladder member 1 through its side rails 2 is supported by swivel feet 8 upon the floor. Transverse rod 7 may be placed across wardrobe support rails on the interior of a closet as seen in FIG. 1.

Rod gripping tongues 6 engage rod 7 and with the aid of swivel feet 8 permit my assembly to serve as a wardrobe support for clothes hangers and similar devices as shown on FIG. 1 and FIG. 3.

In case of fire I immediately withdraw rod 7 and place it against the inside of the window as seen on FIG. 4. I then hook rod gripping tongues of brackets 2 over rod 7 and swing ladder member over the window sill and on to the outside of the building while simultaneously removing pin 13 from bracket 12. This causes rotation of rung 4 by the combined action of counterweight 10 and gravity. Rope 11 or rope ladder 11a, then descends to the ground thus affording occupants of the room safe escape through the window to the ground below.

I claim:

1. A combination portable fire escape and wardrobe support comprising:

a rigid ladder member equipped with horizontal rungs; one of said rungs being disposed for rotating about its horizontal axis;

rope means positioned on said rotating rung and disposed for coiling and uncoiling around said means for supporting said ladder member from a means for supporting items of wardrobe from said ladder member when said member is supported from a floor;

means for suspending said ladder member on the outside of a building from a window sill.

2. A combination portable fire escape and wardrobe support comprising:

a rigid ladder member;

means for supporting said ladder member in a vertical position from a floor;

rod means in cooperative relation with said ladder member,

said rod means being disposed to hold said ladderdisposed to support items of wardrobe when said ladder is supported from a floor anddisposed to hold said ladder means in position when said ladder means is suspended from a window sill.

4. The device of claim 2 including a weight positioned on the end of said rope means opposite the end positioned on said rotating rung.

5. The device of claim 4 including means for holding said rotating rung with said rope means in a coiled up position and means for releasing said rung to permit said rope means to uncoil under the action of said weight.

6. The device of claim 2 in which said rope means comprises a rope ladder. 

1. A combination portable fire escape and wardrobe support comprising: a rigid ladder member equipped with horizontal rungs; one of said rungs being disposed for rotating about its horizontal axis; rope means positioned on said rotating rung and disposed for coiling and uncoiling around said rung; means for supporting said ladder member from a floor; means for supporting items of wardrobe from said ladder member when said member is supported from a floor; means for suspending said ladder member on the outside of a building from a window sill.
 2. A combination portable fire escape and wardrobe support comprising: a rigid ladder member; means for supporting said ladder member in a vertical position from a floor; rod means in cooperative relation with said ladder member, said rod means being disposed to hold said ladder member in a fixed lateral position; means for suspending said ladder member on the outside of a building from a window sill; a rotating rung positioned on said ladder member; a rope means having one end positioned on said rotating rung; said rotating rung being disposed for coiling and uncoiling said rope means upon itself.
 3. The device of claim 2 in which said rod means is disposed to support items of wardrobe when said ladder is supported from a floor and disposed to hold said ladder means in position when said ladder means is suspended from a window sill.
 4. The device of claim 2 including a weight positioned on the end of said rope means opposite the end positioned on said rotating rung.
 5. The device of claim 4 including means for holding said rotating rung with said rope means in a coiled up position and means for releasing said rung to permit said rope means to uncoil under the action of said weight.
 6. The device of claim 2 in which said rope means comprises a rope ladder. 